Long Hair to Look Skinnier

Q: I'm trying to lose weight. I'm on a diet and already lost a few pounds, which is encouraging. Someone told me that I should grow my hair long because long hair makes you look skinnier.

Is this correct? Can a long hairstyle make someone look skinnier? I'm still a bit overweight and have a roundish face.

A: First, congrats on your efforts and current success. As far as the advice to grow your hair long, you need to remember that the important factor involved is balance. To make a rounder face look slimmer, you want to create vertical focus.

That means that you want to have some volume in the top section and possibly length to fall below the face, but the sides need to remain low-volume. If you have curly or wavy hair, growing your hair out could actually make you look heavier since the hairstyle will be wide as well as long.

Many women I know who are losing weight make the mistake of going to an extreme, forgetting that the need for balance is paramount. You want the hair to provide a focus for the eye, but never to be so prominent that it overpowers the overall look. A woman with straight hair who grows it out too long, can still look unflattering if the length is out of proportion to the overall frame.

I suggest you speak with a stylist about the situation and get a professional assessment of what would work best for you. Obviously, I can't give you any concrete suggestions since I don't have any points of reference for your particular needs. A stylist who can look at you, your hair and build can make recommendations that will be more beneficial for you than trying to wing it on your own.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Face shapes and hairstyle choices

How to match your hairstyle and body type

The round face and suitable hairstyles

What is a slimming haircut?